I Am Not Her

Chapter 09

“I CAN help you.”

Nang marinig ni Winter ang mga katagang yun ay bigla siyang nabuhayan. Para siyang nabunutan ng tinik sa dibdib at nawala ang bigat na pasan-pasan niya sa balikat niya.

“I'll help you but in exchange for something.”

She gulped nervously. Why, of course. Wala naman na libre dito sa mundo. Hindi na nakakapagtaka kung may hilingin itong kapalit. “What is it then?" kinakabahan niyang tanong.

Ilang sandali din bago ito sumagot. Halos lumabas na sa dibdib niya ang puso sa sobrang lakas at bilis ng t***k nito.

“I want you to be the mother of my son.”

It took her a few minutes before she could entirely process what he said. Her eyes widened after when his words finally registered in her head. At hindi niya alam kung bakit nag-init bigla ang mga pisngi niya. She averted her eyes from him. “W-why me?”

“Because it has to be you."

And once again, hindi na naman niya maintindihan ang sinabi nito. Why it had to be her? Was there something special about her at siya itong napili ni Noah? No, ayaw na niyang mag-isip ng kung anu-ano at baka sa huli ay mauwi na naman yun sa matinding pagkadismaya.

“I... I don't get it," naiiling niyang sabi. “Why it has to be me? And why do you need a mother for your son? Don't you have a wife? Are you... perhaps are you a single dad?"

A look of anguish crossed his face. Hindi niya alam kung bakit naging ganun ang reaksyon nito. May nasabi ba siyang hindi maganda?

“You sure have a lot of questions," Noah said in a deadpan voice. “But sure I'll tell you then."

Lumapit ito sa kanya. Ang dalawang kamay nito ay parehong nasa bulsa ng pantalon nito. He looked straight at her with his piercing dark eyes. His gaze was intimidating and yet, she couldn't bring herself from looking away from him. Just like when they first met, it was as if she was hypnotized by those eyes.

“You look exactly as my late wife.”

Napaamang siya. So the other day when he told her that she looked like someone he knew, he was actually talking about his late wife. She shook his head in disbelief. It couldn't be. That's impossible and at the same time it sounded absurd.

“You’re… kidding, right?”

“I’m not that type of person to make a joke about this. Seryoso ako, Winter.”

Mapait siyang napangiti. So the reason why he approached her was because of her resemblance with his late wife. And she was certain when Noah said he was intrigued by her, it was because of that. Paano nga ba naman na ang dalawang tao na hindi magkadugo ay magkamukha? Maski siya ay hirap paniwalaan yun.

“What happened to her?”

“Cancer,” he replied curtly. “And it has been a month since she passed away.”

“I-I’m sorry to hear that,” ang tanging nasabi niya lang dito.

May ilang sandali din silang nabalot ng katahimikan. Her hands were fidgeting in her lap. Noah needed her help and so she was too. Nasa harapan na niya ang sagot sa problema niya.

“My son wanted to see you again kahit ba ilang beses ko ng sinabi sa kanya na hindi ikaw ang ina niya. So here I am, asking you to be his mom. At least for a while,” pagbasag ni Noah sa katahimikan. “Ako na ang bahala sa hospital bills, sa operasyon at pati na rin sa gamot na kakailanganin ng iyong ina.”

Nakagat niya ang labi. She’s already desperate. For her mom... she’d do everything. But more than that, if she accepted Noah’s offer, would she finally be able to get closer to him?

“What do you think?”

She wanted to know more about him. This man… she couldn’t get him off of her mind since the day they met. There’s no point denying it—she’s attracted to him. “Are you really going to help me? Is that all you want from me?”

The corner of his mouth quirked up. “Why? Do you want me to ask more from you? Or perhaps were you expecting that I would ask you to be my lover?”

Hindi siya nakasagot.

She heard him chuckle, “Well, sorry to disappoint you but don’t expect something like that. I don’t need a lover.”

Pagak siyang natawa. “Wala naman akong sinabing ganun, di ba?”

“Silence means yes,” ani Noah.

She averted her gaze from him. “Marami lang akong iniisip kaya hindi ako nakasagot agad,” dahilan naman niya.

“If you can’t decide yet, then I’ll give you some more time to think about it. Saan ka ba nakatira? Ihahatid na kita.”

Hinawakan niya ang braso nito. “You don’t have to wait. I’ll give you my answer now.”

Noah smiled, “Well, that’s fast. I wasn’t expecting to hear an answer already.”

“I... I'll accept it!" she said firmly. Hindi na niya kailangan pang pag-isipan yun ng matagal. Hindi naman ganun kahirap ang hinihingi ni Noah na kapalit. Magpapanggap lang naman siya bilang ina ng anak nito. “Help me and in exchange, aalagaan ko at ituturing na parang sarili kong anak ang anak mo.”

“Then it’s settled. Bukas ay aasikasuhin agad natin ang operasyon ng nanay mo.”

A small smile stretched her lips. And who would’ve thought that in just one blink on an eye, agad na naresolbahan ang problema niya. “Thank you.”

GAYA nga ng sinabi ni Noah, tumupad ito sa sinabi nito na ito na ang sasagot sa pera na kailangan nila para sa operasyon ng kanyang ina. Naging matagumpay naman ang operasyon at kasalukuyang nagpapagaling na lang ang kanyang ina. Masasabi niyang hulog ng langit si Noah. If not because of him, baka hanggang ngayon ay problemado pa din siya kung saan siya kukuha ng pera.

“Nay, kumain pa po kayo. Magpalakas pa po kayo,” ang sabi niya dito.

Ngumiti sa kanya ang ina. “Hindi ba dapat ay nasa trabaho ka ngayon. Anong ginagawa mo dito? Baka mapagalitan ka ng boss mo.”

Kumuha siya ng isang saging at kumain na din. “Hindi po, nay. Nagpaalam ako. Hindi ko naman pwedeng iwan kayo na mag-isa dito. Si Nathan naman ay nasa school at hindi naman pwede na um-absent.”

Her mother nodded. “Ganun ba,” anito. “Eh, nga pala, nung nakaraan ko pa ito gustong itanong sa’yo. Saan ka pala kumuha ng pera, anak?”

Natigilan siya bigla sa tanong nito. Hindi niya alam kung paano sasabihin sa ina ang tungkol kay Noah at sa kapalit nitong pagtulong sa kanila. Nagkataon naman na narinig nilang bumukas ang pinto kaya napalingon sila pareho ng kanyang ina. Awtomatiko naman siyang napatayo ng makita kung sino ang pumasok.

“Hello,” nakangiting bati sa kanila ni Noah.

Ilang beses na niyang nakita si Noah na naka-formal attire, and yet she still couldn’t stop herself from admiring him. He looked respectable in his suit.

“Magandang araw sa’yo, hijo,” sagot naman ng kanyang ina. “Kaibigan ka ba ni Winter?”

“Nay, siya pala si Noah,” siya na ang sumagot sa tanong ng kanyang ina. “Siya po pala yung tumulong para maoperahan kayo.”

Bakas sa mukha ng kanyang ina ang gulat sa narinig na sinabi niya. “Talaga ba? Naku, maraming salamat sa’yo. Wag kang mag-alala, hahanapan namin ng paraan para makabayad sa’yo. Yun nga lang ay baka matagalan. Hirap din kami ngayon sa pera.”

“No, hindi na po kailangan,” umiiling na sabi ni Noah sa ina. Then his gaze shifted to her. “I already have my bargain,” makahulugan nitong sabi at ngumiti sa kanya.